Summer Solstice Celebration

Every year, Santa Barbara has a huge summer solstice parade and party in two of the city parks. I've never seen anything like this parade, but from what I've heard, Mardi Gras is probably the closest comparison. The theme for the parade this year is Creatures.

 The sun was probably 20 feet tall. It's body parts were made from flowing fabric. This is my favorite photo of the day.

 This looks like some sort of creature that would live in the woods.

This alien wore old school curlers on her head, carried a baby alien in her arms, mopped the ground, and dusted the crowd.  Definitely a multi-tasker. 

And what is this thing coming up the street?

It's a giant octopus like bubble with a woman inside doing acrobats on a ring. What a great finale!

The party continued at the park, but my camera wasn't invited.

Decorated Boxes

A re-election campaign is underway for Helene Schneider, the current mayor of Santa Barbara. I don't live in Santa Barbara, so I'm really not involved in any of that, however, a good friend of mine hosted a party for the mayor and I helped her with some of the decorations.
Recycled boxes that had been decorated especially for the occasion and filled with an unknown prize inside were being offered to guests for a donation of $50.00. Arlene wanted the boxes to look unique and enticing. Here is what I came up with.

This box began as a brown and white box that said Happy Birthday all over . That just wasn't going to work. I broke out the spray paint and gave it several coats of pink and purple paint. It turned out very pretty with this giant pink bow on top.

This box featured hand made flowers. The multi-colored flowers were crocheted. The coral flower on the bottom right was made using origami techniques. The pink flowers on the bottom left are folded strips that are gathered and slashed. I have quite a few flowers ready in case I need something in a hurry. They came in handy.

I added some fabric, ribbon, made a sun out of clay and gave it a coat of gold paint. It was a fun little project. Quite different than what I usually work on.

Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the party because I was preparing for a baby shower at my house. Why do all the fun things happen on the same day?

Happy Summer Solstice to All!

Love Ice Dyeing

Okay, I admit it . . . I'm addicted to ice dyeing.

I just love everything about ice dyeing and it seems like I can't get enough of it. I always wait for a nice day because I do it out on my patio, get all my materials set up, and then relax and enjoy the process of watching luscious dye colors mix together over ice.

These are fat half yards of a gorgeous sateen fabric. These are all so uniquely patterned and colored, it is really difficult to choose a favorite.

A few of the pieces in the back row have very rich saturated colors that are gorgeous. Next week, I'll be dyeing some more fabric and probably some silk scarves too.

I think blue, red and purple will be a good combination to try next. What colors do you think would look good together?

I may have to start selling some of this fabric to support my dyeing habit!

Published in Art Quilting Studio Magazine

I was really excited when the magazine finally came out and I could see my articles in print. Yes, that is plural, I am featured in three different areas of the magazine. I'm really pleased with the way the articles turned out, which is saying a lot. Overall,  it was a good experience and I'd be happy to do it again.

Here is the article that I wrote for the Special Feature section, "Too Hot to Handle". 

If you've read my blog for a while, you'll remember reading about the fires that came through the Santa Barbara area. This article gives a bit of the back story, how it affected me and my art.

 Inside Out is an interview that covers a bit of my background and the inspiration behind my "Inside Out" Cellular Series.

 This interview is in the Quilting Odd & Unusual section. Who knew that such a section ever existed until now. It figures that I would land there. LOL

 "Gridlock" is in the Patchworks section (right page). It has two photos and a description of how I went about making it.

If you haven't previously seen Art Quilting Studio magazine, you should pick up a copy. It is always packed with great articles, photos and information. It is and has been one of my favorites and I wish it was published more than twice a year. I believe you can buy it at Barnes & Nobles, Joann's and Stampington.